Latest articles by Andy Jones
How to get a vocal sound like Billie Eilish and FINNEAS
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS have built some of the defining songs of the millennia. Here we break down their approach to vocal production, all thanks to Apple…
"From ’70s punk to ’80s synth pop to ’90s dance and beyond": How New Order became the ultimate musical trendsetters
Always making the most of modern technology but never following an obvious path, this pioneering band remains hugely influential on both guitar-led and electronic music
The very first Prophet-5 review was sweet, spot on and surprisingly prescient: "Think of it as a 5-note Minimoog, and your programs can be stored even when the instrument is turned off!"
"The Prophet-5 will remember 40 different preset sounds, each of which can be easily recalled and also modified. Impressive, eh?"
The Tina Turner smash hit she thought was "throwaway pop", but ended up saving her career: "It was David Bowie who first got Capitol interested in reviving Tina's career"
"Afterwards she told me that it was the hardest vocal she'd ever had to do in her life," said songwriter Terry Britten in a classic 1986 interview
"George Martin knew Robert Moog, and asked him to come to Abbey Road and show us this Moog thing": Paul McCartney on the synth used on the final Beatles album and how its 'noise' created tension in the band
Did the Moog synth speed up the demise of the Beatles?
Back in the '80s Keith Richards correctly predicted how we'd use music technology while discussing the Rolling Stones' battle with it: “We had this big deal called 'stereo' come along in the '60s, and all we did was put mono out of both speakers”
Turns out that success might not be about the gear you use, after all…
The producer's guide to the Roland RE-201 Space Echo: "It can cover everything from simple saturation to wild, out-of-control and bizarre self-oscillation"
Here's how to master one of music's most beloved effects boxes, used by dub producers and experimental electronic composers alike since the early ’70s
“Simply one of the most powerful synths you could imagine”: Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave review
It may be a tribute to the first wavetable synth, but 3rd Wave could well be a landmark in its own right
“People think that Spunk is a lot better than Never Mind The Bollocks, which is very gratifying”: Producer Dave Goodman reveals how he recorded the 'lost' Sex Pistols album, and how it kick-started the punk revolution
Classic interview reveals how his recordings became what some believe is the true Sex Pistols debut album
"One day, Bowie came into my office and asked to play me a demo. I told him it was fantastic. Then he asked me if I'd like to produce it": Unearthed Gus Dudgeon interview reveals how Space Oddity was recorded, and why Tony Visconti turned it down
And who knew that Gus was the first ever producer to use sampling, and did the ‘gnome vocal’ on Bowie’s Laughing Gnome? Us neither…
How to unlock the power of digital synthesis: "We are now at a brilliant point in synth history where analogue and digital are not only living side by side, but joining forces"
Hardware digital synths are back! Four decades after they became popular, renewed interest has led to new machines from both bespoke and bigger developers
"I didn't sit down and think, 'What would be the best drum fill?' I just did it. It could have been anything" : Phil Collins reveals how his iconic In the Air Tonight drum fill was created, and how it became the genesis of '80s gated reverb
A 1985 interview reveals how Phil played 'that' fill, and how the recording created the gated drum sound that defined the '80s and beyond
"Our engineering teams are working on close to 100 exciting products": So, what's happened to the synths and drum machines that Behringer has announced that aren't in the shops yet?
Chip shortages are to blame, but are any of these clones trooping their way to a store any time soon?
NAMM 2024: "We've fired up the first complete prototype - what an amazing moment": Behringer delivers updates on some of its biggest synth and drum machine projects
The latest news on Roland, Oberheim and Casio-a-like synths and drum machines from our favourite clone trooper
NAMM 2024: Is it an EQ? Is it an effect? Who cares - Oeksound's Bloom will probably make your music sound better, whatever it is
Stick it on an individual track or master out and let it do its thing
NAMM 2024: "The biggest ever release for audio mastering and editing" - Steinberg announces WaveLab 12
It has 80 new features and improvements and is, says Steinberg, "the most feature-rich version that we have ever released"
NAMM 2024: "We'll change the microphone world forever" - Aim Audio targets mic market with two new condensers and 'world-first' features
New company brings mic manufacturing back to its home city of Berlin and opens with "stunningly beautiful" models
NAMM 2024: "The analogue experience of the golden era of recording is available to everyone" - Heritage Audio announces new range of audio interfaces
Three interfaces bring a range of input options and a proper analogue feel to your digital world
M2 vs M3 Macs: Is it worth upgrading your music-making machine?
Considering upgrading to one of Apple's newest M3 Macs? We've compared the latest M2 and M3 Macs for price, features and music production performance to see if it's worth it
NAMM 2024: "We've had everything" - is this year's NAMM already the best ever show for new hardware synths?
It's certainly shaping up to be the greatest show in years for the hardware synth. Here are our top picks so far
NAMM 2024: "We assure you that this beauty will come to fruition": Behringer announces an update to its most hotly-awaited clone of the Roland Jupiter-8
It's looking like the 16-voice Jupe-a-like is now in prototype form and ready for testing
NAMM 2024: AlphaTheta Corporation's Wave-Eight is a take-anywhere party speaker with an all-new "ultra-low-latency" wireless audio technology
The new Pioneer DJ brand is not hanging around with its new releases, and now has a new DJ speaker that can go anywhere
NAMM 2024: "It's inspired by denim jeans" - AlphaTheta Corporation announces the OMNIS-DUO portable DJ setup
The Pioneer DJ parent company celebrates its new brand by throwing a party, and OMNIS-DUO is playing the tunes
